Maersk Line started exerting pressure this year on forwarders by challenging named account rates and shortening the duration of available rates, according to the following article carried by the Hong Kong Shipping Gazette:
'This tactic could be regarded as a move by the Danish carrier to rein in perceived abuse of named account rates, as part of an effort to prioritise profitability over market share.
It is not yet known whether Maersk's strategy, which was revealed to IHS Media by several forwarders, is a temporary or part of a broader push by the carrier to build its direct customer business, as part of its overarching transport and logistics strategy that involves "integrating" the supply chain to provide an end-to-end solution.
Some believe it could be early evidence that carriers' market strength is improving and thus giving them the ability to address longstanding grievances towards forwarders - such as the latter's growing market share and longstanding ability to make money while shipping lines, who provide the underlying capacity, have not shared in the spoils.
Non-vessel-operating common carriers (NVOCCs) increased their market share of US imports from Asia to 43 per cent in 2016 compared to 29 per cent in 2006, according to PIERS data.
In the case of so-called named accounts, the forwarder discloses the identity of its shipper to the carrier in return for the carrier agreeing to provide a discounted contract rate applicable to that shipper only.
The practice has been going on for many years as carriers focused on filling vessels, but because the underlying shipper name isn't disclosed on the bill of lading the carrier has to trust that it is really the named account's cargo that is being shipped under the preferential rate.
Some forwarders have been known to abuse the privilege, selling at higher spot rates to other shippers and shipping those goods under the lower named account rate, earning an outsized profit on such shipments.
While no forwarders contacted by were prepared to comment publicly, they confirmed that Maersk began making moves towards ending the named account strategy during the service contract negotiations in 2016-2017.
"Last contract year they made a switch," said an executive at one global forwarder. "They offer a basket deal that you can put X amount of named accounts in and limited us to three to four special named account rates. Different to all other carriers we deal with."